The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-40071, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a joint connector in which housings, each receiving a plurality of terminals therein, can be stacked together in such a manner that their terminals are connected.
2. Related Art
One conventional joint connector is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2000-150055. In this joint connector, as shown in FIG. 17, a metal connection terminal member 4, comprising a plurality of terminal units 3 connected by a carrier 2, is attached to each of housings 1 which can be stacked together in an upward-downward direction. Connection inserting pieces 5 of the terminal units 3 project from a bottom of the housing 1, and the terminal unit 3 has a pair of connection spring pieces 6 between which the connection inserting piece 5 can be inserted.
Therefore, arbitrary portions of the carriers 2, as well as arbitrary ones of the connection inserting pieces 5, are cut off, and the housings 1 are stacked one upon another, and these cut-off portions serve as non-conducting portions, and therefore various circuit patterns can be formed. One example of such circuit patterns is a connection structure shown in FIG. 18. In this circuit pattern, the horizontally-connecting relation (indicated by straight lines) between the terminal units 3, indicated respectively by circles in vertically-arranged two rows of rectangular sections (each row represents one housing 1), is determined by the cutting and uncutting of the carriers 2 of the horizontally-arranged terminal units 3, and the vertically (stacking direction)-connecting relation (indicated by straight lines) between the terminal units 3 is determined by the cutting and uncutting of the connection inserting pieces 5.
However, in this conventional joint connector, the relevant portions of the carriers 2 in the horizontal direction remain in an uncut condition, and by doing so, there is formed a circuit in which each of groups of adjoining terminal units 3 (that is, the terminal units c and d and the terminal units f to i in the row A, and the terminal units d and e and the terminal units f to i in the row B) are connected together as shown in the circuit pattern of FIG. 18. The relevant connection inserting pieces 5 remain in an uncut condition, and by doing so, there is formed the circuit in which each of pairs of upper and lower stacked terminal units 3 in the rows A and B (that is, the terminal units in the column a, the terminal units in the column L and the terminal units in the column j) are connected together.
However, once the horizontally-disposed carrier 2 is cut intermediate the columns a to j, the right and left groups, separated from each other by this cut portion, are rendered into a non-conducting condition relative to each other. Therefore, it is impossible to connect the terminal units of each of the rows A and B in a skipped manner, with one or two terminal units interposed therebetween, and for example in the connection structure of FIG. 18, the terminal units a and j in the row A can not be connected together, and the formation of the circuit is much limited.
Therefore, this invention has been made in view of the above problem of the prior art, and an object of the invention is to provide a joint connector which enables terminals, disposed in a stacked condition, to be easily connected together, and besides enables a wide variety of circuit formation patterns including a skip connection.
(1) There is provided a joint connector comprising: at least two housings which are stacked together with a predetermined gap formed therebetween, each of the housings having a plurality of juxtaposed terminals received therein; and a circuit forming element provided in the gap, by which arbitrary ones of the terminals are selectively connected with others of the terminal in the housings adjoining to each other as well as in the same housing.
In this case, by inserting the circuit forming element into the gap between the stacked housings, arbitrarily-selected ones of the terminals of the adjacent housings, adjoining to each other in the stacking direction, can be connected by this circuit forming element, and also the arbitrarily-selected ones of the terminals in the same housing can be connected by this circuit forming element. Therefore, with the simple construction in which the circuit forming element, separate from the terminals, is inserted into the gap, the terminals, disposed in a stacked manner, can be easily connected, and besides the desired circuit can be easily obtained by the circuit structure of the separate circuit forming element.
(2) There is provided a joint connector according to (1), wherein one of the housings is divided into at least two sub-housings, each of which is releasably engaged with another sub-housing, and the sub-housings respectively accommodate a predetermined number of the terminals, so that the plurality of terminals in the one housing are divided with a predetermined ratio.
Therefore, in the case where groups of wires for connection to the terminals are installed from different directions, the groups of wires are beforehand connected respectively to the separate housings corresponding respectively to these wire groups, and the separate housings, when stacked on another housing, are combined together into a unitary form, and by doing so, the wire-connecting operation can be effected easily.
(3) There is provided a joint connector according to (1), further comprising insertion ports formed on a fitting portion of the housing, wherein mating terminals in a mated connector are connected respectively to the terminals through the insertion ports when the mating connector is fitted into the fitting portion.
In this case, arbitrary circuits are formed by the plurality of terminals received in the stacked housings, and then the mating connector is fitted on the fitting portion of the joint connector, and by doing so, the mating terminals of the mating connector, forming other wiring circuits, can be easily connected to the terminals, respectively.
(4) There is provided a joint connector according to (2), wherein an engaging portion formed on one of the sub-housings serves as a positioning device by which arrangement pitches of the terminals between the sub-housings are coincided in an engaging direction of the sub-housing.
In this case, except at the engaging portion, the terminals, received in the housing, are disposed respectively in registry with the terminals in the adjoining housing in the stacking direction, and therefore the combination of the circuits (formed by inserting the circuit forming element) in the stacking direction can be made clear.
(5) There is provided a joint connector according to (1), wherein the circuit forming element includes a bus bar provided with a conductor member, and a bus bar-fixing member provided with an insulating member, and the bus bar and the bus bar-fixing member are integrally coupled with each other.
In this case, the bus bar is supported on the bus bar-fixing member, and therefore the bus bar can be held in contact with the terminals without the need for excessively increasing the strength of this bus bar.
(6) There is provided a joint connector according to (5), wherein the bus bar includes a plurality of pairs of terminal contact pieces, each pair of which are brought into contact respectively with the terminals opposing with each other provided in the housings adjoining to each other in the stacking direction, a pair of connecting base portions one of which integrally connects proximal ends of the terminal contact pieces disposed at one side while the other connecting base portion integrally connects proximal ends of the terminal contact pieces disposed at the other side, and connecting pieces connecting the pair of connecting base portions.
In this case, with respect to the pairs of terminal contact pieces connected to the terminals of the adjacent housings, each group of terminal contact pieces are electrically connected together by the corresponding connecting base portion, and the two connecting base portions are electrically connected together through the connecting pieces. Therefore, in this condition, the terminal contact piece, contacted with the specified terminal, is electrically connected through one connecting base portion to the other terminal contact pieces, connected to this connecting base portion, and also is connected to the other connecting base portion through the connecting piece, and is further connected to the terminal contact pieces (provided in paired relation to the first-mentioned terminal contact pieces) through this connecting base portion, and as a result all of the terminal contact pieces are electrically connected together. In this condition, one or both of the pair of connecting base portions are cut at suitable portions, and suitable ones of the connecting pieces are cut, and by doing so, a wide variety of circuits, including a skip connection, can be formed.
(7) There is provided a joint connector according to (6), wherein the pair of connecting base portions are offset with respect to each other so that the two connecting base portions do not overlap each other in a plane of projection in a direction of opposing of the connecting base portions to each other.
In this case, when cutting suitable portions of the pair of connecting base portions by inserting cutting blades respectively in their opposing directions, these connecting base portions can be easily cut separately from each other since the two connecting base portions are offset with respect to each other.
(8) There is provided a joint connector according to (6), wherein the proximal ends of the terminal contact pieces are integrally attached to the bus bar-fixing member.
In this case, the terminal contact pieces are fixed at their proximal ends to the bus bar-fixing member, and therefore each of the terminal contact pieces can secure the force of contact with the terminal, effectively utilizing its spring force.
(9) There is provided a joint connector according to (5), wherein an opening is formed on the bus bar, and a projection having a flange is formed on the bus bar-fixing member, and the projection is fitted in the opening in such a manner that a gap is formed partially between the projection and an inner peripheral surface of the opening, and the bus bar and the bus bar-fixing member are coupled together through the opening and the projection.
In this case, when the flange of the projection on the bus bar-fixing member is deformed upon fitting of the projection into the opening in the bus bar, such a deformed portion escapes to the gap, and therefore the amount of cutting of the flange by the inner peripheral surface of the opening can be decreased.
(10) There is provided a joint connector according to (6), wherein cutting portions are selectively formed on the bus bar in the vicinity of portions where the connecting base portion and the connecting piece are connected together.
In this case, the connecting base portion and the connecting piece are cut in the vicinity of the connecting portion where these are connected together, and therefore these cut portions are provided in a concentrated manner, so that the electrically-connecting relation can be easily controlled, and besides cutting blades for the connecting base portions and the connecting pieces can be arranged in a concentrated manner.
(11) There is provided a joint connector according to (1), wherein a retaining projection is formed on one of the housings, the retaining projection being inserted into a terminal accommodating portion formed on another of the housing adjoining to the one housing in stacked relation, and the retaining projection retain the terminal received in the terminal accommodating portion in a direction to prevent the withdrawal of the terminal.
In this case, the retaining projection is engaged with the terminal, thereby preventing the withdrawal of the terminal more positively.
(12) There is provided a joint connector according to (11), wherein a lance for engaging the terminal in a direction to prevent the withdrawal thereof is provided in the terminal accommodating portion of the housing, and the bus bar-fixing member has a lance-return regulating portion pressing the lance in a withdrawal prevention direction.
In this case, when the circuit forming element is inserted into the gap between the stacked housings, this lance-return regulating portion presses the lance in the withdrawal prevention direction, and therefore the restoration of the lance and hence the cancellation of its engagement with the terminal are prevented.
(13) There is provided a joint connector according to (6), wherein a chamfered portion is formed at an opposite side edge of the terminal contact piece brought into contact with the terminal.
In this case, when the terminal contact piece is brought into contact with the terminal with its predetermined resilient force, the terminal is prevented from being damaged by the side edges of the contact portion of the terminal contact piece.
(14) There is provided a joint connector according to (6), wherein the connecting piece has a U-shaped bent portion turned back in a U-shaped manner at a side edge of the bus bar-fixing member, and the U-shaped bent portion is exposed to a fitting portion fitted into a mating connector.
In this case, the U-shaped bent portions of the connecting pieces are exposed to the fitting portion of the housings, and therefore, a measuring terminal of a tester can be easily brought into contact with these exposed portions, and therefore the conducting relation of the bus bar can be examined easily and positively. And besides, the exposed U-shaped bent portions are disposed at the fitting portion on which the mating connector is fitted, and therefore when the mating connector is fitted, the exposed portions can be concealed.